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Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

If I said I've been eating three cookies for breakfast every morning for the past five days, would you believe me? Well, it's true! Although, these aren't your average cookies. These, my friends, are breakfast cookies! That means they're a little special. And even healthy. Yep. I know the word "cookie" is not usually synonymous with health and that even "healthy" is a subjective term, but give me a chance to explain. I loooooove cookies (particularly chocolate chip oatmeal cookies), but I almost never make them at home because they contain so much sugar and I'd gobble up the whole batch by my lonesome (no joke).

Healthy Cookies You Can Eat For BreakfastWell, I ran across this super popular "cookie" recipe on Pinterest, which only used two ingredients: ripe bananas and oats. The idea of creating a cookie that was naturally sweetened with fruit and had no added sugar really intrigued me. However, I was pretty skeptical. Only two ingredients? Bah! Humbug!

Turns out...it works! Although I couldn't resist improving the yumminess by throwing in additional ingredients. And, now I'm smitten.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate ChipsThe old-fashioned oats give each cookie a wonderful chewy texture and they have plenty of fiber to keep you full longer if you need something quick to nosh on during a busy morning. And, the over-ripe banana provides just enough sweetness without the need for any added sugar (score)! I threw in extra spices (like cinnamon and vanilla extract) to improve the flavor and ingredients like dark chocolate chips, unsweetened shredded coconut, and chopped nuts for texture and taste. You could easily swap them out with your personal favorites (like dried cranberries, homemade pumpkin pie spice, chia seeds, or nut butter).

This healthy breakfast cookie is a mash-up of the best aspects of banana bread, oatmeal, and chocolate chip cookies! Even better? It only takes minutes to throw together and bake. No fancy ingredients or steps required.If you're looking for a straight up breakfast cookie a la flour, eggs, sugar, and butter or oil...then you'll have to look elsewhere. I'm all for eating these types of classic cookies for breakfast carpe diem style. In fact, I did this a few weeks back with the tahini butter cookie recipe from this cookbook. They were amazing! But, I wouldn't want to eat them every day. That's one of my reasons why I decided to experiment with the oats and banana breakfast cookie technique. I was going through a cookie phase and needed a healthier fix.

I use the term "healthy" lightly because I love pastured butter (I use it in my bulletproof coffee every morning) and generally follow the 80/20 rule; however, when I consistently indulge in too much refined carbohydrates or sugary foods...well, I don't feel so hot! And I'm all about feeding my body (and soul) foods that make me feel good. Banana Oatmeal Breakfast CookiesIf you have a few ripe bananas on hand and five minutes to spare, you can make these healthy breakfast cookies right now! They're chewy and filling with a hint of sweetness from the banana and dark chocolate chips. Pair them with your favorite morning beverage for a quick breakfast on the go, or even as a snack or dessert that won't put you in a sugar or carb coma. Adapted from2 Ingredient Cookies by The Burlap BagYield: approximately 14 small cookiesIngredients3 super ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon of sea salt (like THIS)1 tablespoon of homemade vanilla extract1 - 1 1/2 cups of uncooked old-fashioned oats*Additional Mix-Ins (Optional & Easy to Swap With Other Ingredients):1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips (like THIS or THIS)1/8 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts (I used pecans)*If you want your cookies less chewy, you can substitute uncooked rolled or quick cooking oats; however, you may need to adjust the liquid to dry ingredients ratio. Another alternative would be to reduce the amount of old fashioned oats to 1 cup. Let me know if you try this!Recommended Equipmentlarge rimmed baking sheet or cookie sheetparchment paper, silpat, OR cooking oil for greasing the baking sheetmedium sized mixing bowlDirectionsPre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grab a rimmed baking sheet or cookie pan and line it with parchment paper, silpat, OR grease it thoroughly with butter or coconut oil. In a medium sized bowl, mash the bananas with a fork so there are no big chunks. Measure in the cinnamon, sea salt, and vanilla extract. Stir in the oats so everything is well incorporated. If it seems too dry, you can add more mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce a few tablespoons at a time; however, you don't want it too moist so it stays together. If you want to add mix-ins for taste and texture (I highly recommend this), dump them in now. Feel free to switch it up based on what's in your pantry, fridge, or freezer. I used organic dark chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut flakes, and chopped raw pecans. Give the mixture another quick stir so the chocolate chips aren't congregating in one spot, then portion it out in heaping tablespoons on the baking sheet. If the mixture falls a part, just use your fingers to stick it back together. When they're all measured out, use the back of a fork to flatten each ball into a "cookie" shape so it cooks evenly. Pop 'em in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies start to turn a lovely golden color. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before enjoy. I know, it's hard cause the aroma is tantalizing! Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. They should last at least a week although I polished off my last breakfast cookie on the fifth day. Notes & Tips

Because I used old fashioned oats, and quite a bit of them, these cookies turned out pretty chewy. I LOVED this aspect of the recipe (felt more filling to me), but if that's not your jam, you can substitute rolled or quick oats. However, you may have to adjust the liquid to oats ratio to compensate. I haven't tried it with any other type of oat, so if you DO make this substitution, please leave a comment and let me know how it works!

If your bananas are not very ripe, you may need to add in something extra to sweeten it. In that case, I recommend going with real maple syrup or raw honey!

I'd like to hear from YOU!

What's your favorite way to incorporate old fashioned oats or super ripe bananas into recipes? Have any stories or tips?

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